providing that the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation shall
notify all contract purchasers whose applications had been rejected during that
fiscal year and the reasons for the rejection; prohibiting a certain contract
purchaser whose application has been rejected from reapplying to sell an
easement on the same land on the same terms until a certain time; providing for
the termination of this Act; and generally relating to contract purchasers and
the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Agriculture
Section 2-509(b)(1) and 2-510(a) and (1)
Annotated Code of Maryland

(1985 Replacement Volume and 1998 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Agriculture

2-509.

(b) Regulations and procedures adopted by the Foundation for the
establishment and monitoring of agricultural districts shall provide that:

(1) (I) One or more owners of land actively devoted to agricultural use
may file a petition with the county governing body requesting the establishment of an
agricultural district composed of the land owned by the petitioners. The petition shall
include maps and descriptions of the current use of land in the proposed district.

(II) A CONTRACT PURCHASER WITH THE WRITTEN APPROVAL OF
THE LANDOWNER MAY ALSO FILE A PETITION, ON BEHALF OF A CONTRACT
PURCHASER OF LAND. WITH THE COUNTY GOVERNING BODY REQUESTING THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT.

2-510.

(a) (1) An owner of agricultural land located in an agricultural district
established under this subtitle may offer by written application to sell an easement to
the Foundation on the entire contiguous acreage of such agricultural land.

(2) A CONTRACT PURCHASER OF AGRICULTURAL LAND LOCATED IN AN
AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT ESTABLISHED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE MAY OFFER BY
WRITTEN APPLICATION, AND WITH THE WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE LANDOWNER,
TO SELL AN EASEMENT TO THE FOUNDATION ON THE ENTIRE CONTIGUOUS
ACREAGE OF THE AGRICULTURAL LAND.

(1) (1) On or before June 30, the Foundation shall notify all landowners AND
CONTRACT PURCHASERS whose applications had been rejected during that fiscal
year. The Foundation shall specify the reasons for that rejection.